"I did one good thing when I was chief and that was hire you," Engstrom, a former head of the Lakeport Police Department, said to Ferguson.

Mayor Stacey Mattina presented a certificate of achievement to the Clear Lake High School junior varsity football team in honor of its undefeated season. The 10-0 Cardinals posted eight shutouts and yielded only 19 points overall.

Earlier, the council voted 3-2 to approve a contract with City Attorney Steven Brookes, valid through Dec. 31, 2013. Lyons and Rumfelt dissented.

Brookes will earn an annual salary of almost $51,000 while working an average of 20 hours per week. He will receive health insurance while contributing 76 percent of the monthly premiums -- the city will pay for the remaining 24 percent.

Several provisions drew the ire of some retired city employees.

"It kind of disturbs me and some of the other retirees that the city attorney is a half-time employee and getting full-time benefits, with the exception of his paid sick and vacation time is only at half-time. Well, if that's at half-time, why isn't everything else at half-time," Lloyd Wells said.

"I also signed a contract, back in 1982, and was told when I retired that I would retire with full medical benefits paid for by the city. That didn't happen; that was taken away from me," Bob Barthel added.

Brookes, who has held the post since 1984, did not attend Tuesday's meeting.

"Up until this contract, the city attorney got his health insurance paid 100 percent, and it was written in the contract that he would get 100 percent medical at retirement. This contract changes it so that he doesn't get any more than any other current city employee or retiree," Engstrom said.

Brookes ran into legal trouble last year, pleading no contest in July 2011 to misdemeanor driving under the influence.

Jeremy Walsh is a staff reporter for Lake County Publishing. Reach him at 263-5636, ext. 37 or jwalsh@record-bee.com. Follow him on Twitter, @JeremyDWalsh.